Administration of medication

Author: Reilika Nestor 30.11.2014 at 00:00

First indications of what we today call pharmacology can be found in our very distant past. As long as humans have walked the Earth, we've had to heal ourselves. In earlier times, people did not understand the nature of disease and their cause well. This is why medication was chosen quite randomly without any scientific grounds or knowledge.

Today, we’re growing increasingly aware of the importance of our health, a healthy lifestyle and nutrition. More and more people use long-term preparations instead of medication.

To allow medication to absorb, it needs to reach your small intestine or stomach. Absorption is generally quicker and more effective on an empty stomach and bowels, but the local irritation it causes the mucous membrane is stronger. Alcohol use and smoking slows absorption of medication. Medicinal products remain in your blood for a short time, before dissolving in your tissues. For you organism, medication is foreign matter that is tampering with its functional balance. It’s true for many medicines, that combining them can increase or decrease their effect. This is why some combinations are not allowed and can be dangerous.

It’s difficult to say whether a good or bad thing, but today we have an enormous choice of medication. More and more people develop health problems and need better self-awareness to choose correct medicines.

The most common ailments are joint and muscle pain, headaches, nervousness, a runny nose, sleep disorders, fatigue, tiredness, digestive issues, a cough and a sore throat.

Up to 90% of health issues pass without the patient demanding or receiving medical attention. The majority of people, a good 60%-80%, use medication on their own initiative. The rest ignore their symptoms and wait for their body to heal itself. Pain and the common cold are the usually managed at home. Studies show that self-treatment is rather successful: ailments pass or are relieved in more than 90% of cases.

Your organism has its own defenses against illness. For them to work, our immune system needs to be strong. Ill people need to know how to go about to help their own organism along and to create the best conditions for restoring the inner balance of their bodies. This is easiest when you listen to the instructions offered by your physician, but sadly, this isn't common. Using medication without specialist advice can have serious consequences and compromise your defenses.

Of course, there are people who are extremely cautious towards medication. If doctors manage to relieve their fear for their illness, they sometimes abandon medication altogether. Treatment is often also discontinued due to adverse effects that are mainly caused by the central nervous system.

It’s disturbing to know that most people use medication out of their own wisdom. Only 1/3 of people use their prescription according to their doctor’s instructions, another third uses the prescribed medication irregularly, and the final third doesn’t take it at all.

Healing does not depend on medication alone. You need to take your medicine, but you also have to have a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Bodily activity, a special diet (if needed), limiting or giving up harmful habits, and avoiding excessive stress is often more important than any prescription. Usually, maintaining a healthy lifestyle turns out to be more difficult than correct use of medication.

Adverse effects of medicinal products become known during long-term use, usually in 8 to 12 years. In-depth clinical studies in the first years of use give the best chance to avoid future harm. Thanks to the continuous development of modern medicine, conclusions on drug safety are becoming quicker. These studies are used to reveal adverse effects of medicines and they’re the reason why some products that have been used for up to 6 years are withdrawn from the market.